Meet the team
A passionate team of professionals with a wide range of skills and experience
Dr Alison Maitland
At face value, my bio runs something like this: Alison’s approach combines a deep understanding of human performance with the practical experience of leading in multi-national organisations in sport, the private sector, charities and public life.
As a psychologist and author, she is as comfortable working with individuals taking their first step on their career journey to those who feel they’ve achieved much already. Alison is an expert in leadership and women’s development, backed up with rigour grounded in research, a PhD in the psychology of elite performance. She has two fabulous grown-up daughters and lives near London with her husband and two cats.
In reality, I am on the same journey of Becoming as you, finding my way home to who I am. I’ve messed things up and excelled, I’ve built relationships and devastatingly been hurt in them, I’ve lived without a care in the world and had a season where everyday was a trial, I’ve experienced great joy and deep sadness.
It is this experience that equips me, along with insight shared by many wise teachers, to walk alongside you, helping you to open doors and shine a light on what’s there, as you too travel towards a full rich and centred life, leaning deep into your soul.
Liz Walker
I have 20 years experience in Leadership, Learning and Development in global organisations, including leading management consultancies, law firms and ‘big four’ professional service firms.
I’ve led and worked in international teams, small and large, virtual and co-located. I have diagnosed, developed and delivered development programs and projects across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, working at all levels, from graduates to executive leaders. I have a degree in International Business and a Masters in Organisational Behaviour. I’m accredited to coach by the EMCC. And as well as all that, I’m a mum, a partner, a daughter, a sister, a friend and occasionally a runner.
Yet, if you asked me who I was, either professionally or personally, after my second maternity leave, I couldn’t have answered the question. I suffered a complete loss of direction and a crisis of identity. I lost all belief in my professional abilities and could not understand how to integrate my identity as ‘mother’ with the woman I had been before.
Luckily, I met women who understood my position and who mentored and supported me to find my way back to me. I’m not a finished article by any means, but I’m ready, and more importantly committed, to help other women on their Becoming journey.
Dr Cath Bishop
I have explored and experimented, discovered and developed through careers in Olympic sport, diplomacy and now leadership development; and I am a mother of two.
As an Olympic rower for 10 years, I learnt about the highs and lows of high performance. I understood how to define success in a broader way than simply medals and developed a resilience that wasn’t about toughness but about connection and adaptability.
As a diplomat in the Foreign Office, I spent 12 years working on policy and negotiations, with posting to Bosnia and Iraq. What I loved about the world of diplomacy was that it’s unashamedly about developing relationships and exploring collaboration, however tough the obstacles and barriers might be.
My current work encompasses coaching, team facilitation, cultural change and leadership development. All of these approaches focus on supporting a deeper understanding of ourselves and our impact on others. They involve an ongoing process of learning, relearning and unlearning, which I am constantly on too.
I teach on Executive Education programmes at the Judge Business School, Cambridge and other business schools. My first book, published in October 2020 is called ‘The Long Win: The Search for a Better Way to Succeed.’
Seren Trewavas
My favourite artist Pablo Picasso said, “the first half of life is learning to be an adult – the second half is learning to be a child.”
The first half of my life was a bit of odyssey; trying to understand others’ expectations of me. Working hard at school. I was the model student, going on to university and beyond, becoming a chartered organisational psychologist. As I got onto the career ladder, I worked my way up to senior roles in big corporations like the BBC. It was a great story of achievement, and yet there was still something inside me dissatisfied. My life wasn’t balanced and I was burning out.
Through working with a coach and mentor I realised I had been living a life shaped by others’ expectations. What really mattered was doing what I enjoyed and found fulfilling. I didn’t have to live like this. But to realise this I had to stop swimming in the river and step out of it. That required me to listen to my inner creativity, spontaneity and intuition and tune down the disapproving, doubting and overly rational voices that sapped my energy.
I’ve now been able to take everything I learned in the first half of my life and leverage it in a way that suits me, making some big changes. I now have my own coaching practice called THRIVE, accredited with the ICF. I focus on what I am passionate about – helping people unlock their potential and have the conversations that really matter. And I am also able to focus on my interests which include writing, triathlons, half marathons, yoga and nutrition.
Jenna Woolven
“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” This Socrates quote sums up the journey I have been on in my life so far.
Having come from an elite sporting background, the pursuit of more, better, further was something that was ingrained in me. I was fortunate enough to find psychology and the world of personal development and have been totally fascinated by it ever since. The idea that we can be the person, the performer, that we want to be is something I now dedicate my time helping others realise.
I am a Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist working with elite athletes in a range of sports, as well as leading psychology programmes in schools helping to develop mindset, resilience and wellbeing in students and staff. I also work as a performance consultant in the business environment, helping leaders to apply the lessons of sport and psychology to their own lives. Supporting charities that help children from underprivileged areas to develop their mindset and beliefs is something I gain huge fulfilment from.
I love the work I do, and for that I am so grateful. I want everyone to feel like that, and I am passionate about helping people to realise their potential, achieve their goals and live more fulfilled lives.
Karen Dawson
My ambition is to realise potential – to increase the confidence and capability of others.
I am motivated by a fundamental desire to see effort rewarded and by situations where there is a generosity of spirit and zest for life. Hence I will contribute where I can to give endeavours every chance of success, be this people or causes. Together with ceaseless curiosity, these drivers dictate my attitude to life and play out in my approach to designing, developing and facilitating learning which delivers at both individual and organisational level. I enjoy diverse environments where creative thinking is key to producing learning which works. I take great pleasure in using ideas across disciplines to expand possibilities in the mind. I believe that effective learning must be inspiring, meaningful and enjoyable and generate a positive lasting change in the learner.
I design, develop and facilitate leadership and management skills curricula and learning programmes which open up possibilities in people and the organisations they’re part of. My style is open, collaborative and tenacious, to achieve high quality outcomes.
I have extensive L&D experience in multinational, multicultural matrix organisations. I also currently volunteer for The Listening Place and volunteered to teach adult basic literacy and perform front of house duties for the Southwark Playhouse theatre.
Sam Williams
I have a passion for people, creating collaborative ‘power with’ neuroinclusive environments, and championing the value of compassion, curiosity and vulnerability in every space; including business.
I am a Chartered Engineer with over 30 years experience of creating change. Working at the challenging intersection of systemic organisational change and individual change within complex transformation programmes is where I love to be.
I am a certified ICF Business and Personal Coach, certified specialist ADHD coach, certified specialist Menopause Coach and a Prosci ADKAR Change Practitioner.
My lived experiences of neurodistinction and menopause are a powerful catalyst for my change work; I am dedicated in sharing my knowledge and experience to help others, and am a vocal activist to challenge and change the narratives.
Edleen John
If I could write the title that I wanted in my bio, then it would probably just say “ambitious and passionate grafter” – because whatever I am doing, I give it my all with drive, passion, and focus.
I suppose in the official sense, then I am a multi-award-winning Global Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), ESG, Human Resources, Corporate Affairs and Communications Senior Leader, Consultant, Facilitator and Speaker. I have worked in-house and as a consultant across a variety of sectors supporting organisations and people all over the world. I have had the privilege to lead, impact and deliver for teams in global organisations across the corporate, charitable, and public-sector spheres in both an Executive and Non-Executive capacity.
I am a proud British-born Sierra Leonean, with a long-term health condition, who grew up in South-East London after moving back from Sierra Leone to the UK as a toddler in the early 90s. My lived experiences have afforded me treasured insights, opportunities to face fears, and a foundation on how to navigate a life filled with various twists and turns. I attended local non-selective comprehensive schools in Lewisham, before completing my BA and MA (Cantab) in Social and Political Sciences, and subsequent MSc in Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology.
I have had moments of questioning who I am and who I want to be and as a young Black woman growing up in the UK, impacted by my culture, family and friends, workplaces and society more broadly. I have experienced and seen the pressures of society’s labels, stereotypes, and assumptions about me in both positive and negative ways. I have questioned myself, what I have and lack, whether I always am where I should be. However, ultimately, I take every day as a new opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the world around me. So, despite not being the finished article (and let us be honest, who is?), I am here to support others to benefit from the Becoming journey through the navigation of exploring various facets of who they are, why they are, where they are and how they are – so that all of that can be harnessed for them to be exactly who they want to be.
AMC Newton (say A, then M, then C)
Buckle up for 15 years of creative vision – I’m a design dynamo who turns workshops into playgrounds of possibility, powered by an unabashed love for orange!
I’ve zigzagged through corporate landscapes from Target to M&S, designing workshops that spark laughter, joy and innovation. With my late-diagnosed ADHD brain firing on all cylinders, I’ve crafted experiences across industries, from corporate teams to community groups. My MA Innovation Management from UAL Central Saint Martins (aka the art & design mothership) and research with the UK Crafts Council aren’t just credentials – they’re my creative superpowers.
I’m a postgraduate supervisor, lecturer and IAF event maestro. My professional journey has been less of a straight line and more of an exuberant, colourful squiggle.
I excel in making people feel comfortable and able to express themselves. I love to create spaces where creativity flows freely – adaptable, organised, and delightfully unpredictable. I’m adept at Design Thinking, LEGO® Serious Play, and transforming complex challenges into playful adventures.
Living with ADHD and navigating menopause is a profound journey of self-discovery. I’ve learned that identity isn’t fixed, but constantly evolving. Through my own challenges of not belonging and struggling to define myself, I’m committed to helping others find their path, embrace their unique neurodiversity, and understand that personal growth is a continuous, non-linear process.
Sarah Quashie
Born in Trinidad, raised in the UK, shaped by a mosaic of cultures and experiences; I am still in the process of being fully made.
My bio would typically state I am a seasoned learning and organisational development practitioner with over 25 years’ consultancy, design and facilitation experience in the UK and abroad. I’ve specialised in personal development, leadership development; the strategic management of equity and diversity; and recruitment and assessment. And gained experience across central and local government, regulatory bodies, corporates and third sector organisations.
People often say I am generous, conscientious, insightful and rigorous in the work I do.
I am quietly passionate and deeply committed to personal and professional development. Learning has the potential to enrich an individual, their work environment and, ultimately, the service they provide. My contribution to this comes from my resilience, curiosity, critical thinking and a knack for navigating challenges and change.
Sarah Maskell MBE
“Know yourself and you will win all battles.” Sun Tzu
With over two decades of service in the Royal Air Force, I have dedicated myself to creating spaces for development and curiosity, enabling people to thrive. From operational and strategic leadership roles to the complex and nuanced work around policy and strategy, I have committed my career to working to improve the lived experience of others and advocate for those who need a voice or a platform.
Since leaving full time military service I have continued my work around people and culture, specifically in the equity, diversity and inclusion workspace in various roles including a Global Senior VP role HSBC, as a Senior Civil Servant in the UK Home Office, and as a Director in a large NHS Foundation Trust, where I also focused on health inequalities.
I’m honoured to have been recognised with an MBE and other accolades for my efforts but I am more comfortable recognising those achievements made through building experience and knowledge such as becoming a Chartered Manager (CMgr) and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute (CCMI) and Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. Beyond my professional roles, I volunteer as a CMI Regional Board Chair, School Governor and love to spend time with my family. I learn best through connections and always have an audiobook on the ‘go’ whether sewing, travelling or ironing!
Register your interest in the Becoming Journey today.
Becoming is a journey. We will walk it with you. Get in touch to find out more.
